Hittites
~1600 to 1178 BCE, Anatolia
The storm god rode with them, but their words were careful and clear.
In the highlands of Anatolia, the Hittites built a kingdom of stone and law. Their capital, Hattusa, was a fortress of lions and cuneiform. Though often remembered for their iron and war chariots, the Hittites were also archivists, diplomats, and unifiers of myth. They carved treaties with Egypt, balanced gods from many lands, and stood as a bridge between the Indo-European and Mesopotamian worlds.
What They Built
- Hattusa, ringed by massive cyclopean walls and lion gates
- Temple complexes honoring a vast pantheon of local and adopted gods
- Royal archives preserving myth, history, ritual, and law
- Stone reliefs and inscriptions in both Hittite and Akkadian
Technology and Tools
- Early iron working, bronze metallurgy, and military chariotry
- Legal codes and extensive international correspondence
- Hydraulic engineering and complex grain storage systems
Warfare?
Yes. The Hittites fought Egypt at Kadesh, captured Babylon, and maintained a military capable of defending mountain and plain. Yet they also negotiated the earliest known peace treaty, showing that their greatest strength may have been diplomacy.
Agriculture?
The Hittites farmed wheat, barley, and pulses, raised sheep and oxen, and used irrigation where possible. Their economy blended mountain trade with stable grain stores. State-controlled land and tribute networks supported temples and the military alike.
Invite the Hittites in for Tea
They arrive in cloaks of wool, scrolls in hand, wind in their voice. They bring both storm and statute. They do not linger in the past. They ask what can be agreed upon.
Ask them,
“Can a treaty be sacred?”
“What gods walk between languages?”
“Is there peace after iron?”
The Hittites remind us that civilization is often built not just with stone and strength, but with quiet accord, thoughtful memory, and the courage to speak across difference.
“Let the storm pass through,
and the words remain.”